The Reign of Robert I. (1098-1109)
Depression, War and Murder
Robert I. was very different from his father. His military talents were by far more limited than those of William I.. However his capeability to intrigue was far greater. But these were not the only differences. Where William had more or less over his whole life remained a rather simple down-to-earth-man Robert as a schollary theologian saw himeself as intelectualy superior. This view of himeself stood in sharp contrast to the fact that he had a strong lisp and was therefore often incapeable of bringing across what he realy thought. Furthermore he had developed a cruel personality. This all together made Robert a very ruthless ruler.
His first actions were to crush the uprising that had started in the last years of his fathers reign. He managed to do so by April 1099. He now redistributed the titles he had taken of the vanquished. He also reforged the old alliance of his father with France.
But allready Roberts next step created a big scandal. In order to make the King of the Scots more content he agreed that Williams widow Ragnillt Dunkeld should marry Echoeid Dunkeld, son and heir of Donald Dunkeld, Duke of Lothian. Not only was it incredible to forcefully remarry a Kings widow but also to make her marry someone within her own family! However Robert had his will done but the court establishment was now deeply distrustfull of him.
France in the meantime had been crusading and secured the holy city of Jerusalem and great parts of Egypt.
King Robert could not participate in this because he was greatly in debt. But instead of saving money by avoiding unnecessary wars Robert decided to punish the counts of Thüringen and Lausitz for declaring themeselves independent. Although the campaign was finished by 1101 the realm was throne into a serious economic crisis.
In spite of this Robert insited that his great Marshall should be rewarded for his great deeds with 100 gold pieces! Again Robert had poured scorn upon his subjects.
So bad was the financall situation that the royal castle of Hampshire, that had been built by his father William, could not be maintained any more!
The only good news of this year was that Robert became the controller of the new Pope Anselm.
He used this position to excommunicate Duncan, King of Scots, effectifly ruining all attempts of William to normalise the relationship of the two realms.
Robert also took the oportunity to claim to be the true King of the Scots, beliving naivly that the Scots would rather follow him than their excommunicated King.
In 1103 Adémar de Toney, Count of Porto and Lothian, declared himself independant. Robert swore revenge but because of the bad situation of the treasury was unable to turn his words into action.
Instead he decided to build a monument through which he would be rememberd in all times. He orderd a church, second to no other in England, to be built in Hampshire. He had a big inscription erected in it saying: I Robert I., King of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, protector of Christianity, have built this church to comemorate my in the whole word unreached virtues, piety and everlasting Glory. This shall be a place of workship for all my sucessors and those who wish to follow in my footsteps."
In Decembre when Robert was busy organising christmas news reached him that the Count of Evreux had started an uprising against his son Robert Duke of Normandy. Robert quickly mobilised his vassals and crushed that ridicoulus bid for independance. The county was given to the Bishop of Arques.
But the reasons for the uprising were not removed by this victory. Robert, Duke of Normandy, had in a stroke of madness killed his own son and was now hated by all his vassals. Logically in 1105 the County of Avrances also rebelled against the kindslayer Duke. Once again the uprising was quickly supresed and the land given to the Duke of Brittany.
Robert now felt that he was at the absolut hight of his power and nothing was impossible for him. His first horrifying action of the year 1106 was to have his wife Emma de Bretevil murderd. This had three reasons. The first was that he had hated his wife since he had to marry her nearly 30 years ago. The second was that by remarring he could fill his treasury again. And the third a marriage was always a good political instrument.
And so not even 6 days after his wifes murder he married the 17 year old Elayne Dunkeld, who was related to the scotische King. He hoped to strenghten his claim on the scotish crown through this. Furthermore the marriage duty brought the Kingdom 800 gold pices.
Nevertheless Robert was not to enjoy his new wife for two long because two months later the King of France started a war against the Duke of Poitou and Bourdaux. Robert felt that he had to join this war so that the frensh King would not gain the upper hand in France.
The campaign took only 2 months. Now the former great dutchy was divided between the Kingdoms of France and England.
But disaster struck only 2 months later when the frensh King declared war upon the Kingdom.
Robert, seeing his honor tarnished by this betrayal and probably thinking he was a reincarnation of Caesar, personally led his forces into France.
The first major engagement of the war took place at Poitiers on the 28th of March 1107. The english under Robert I. had 7.500 men wheras the 6.500 frensh warriors were led by a nobleman called Eudes de Lomagne.
The english had a considerable amount of knights, archers and light infantry more than the frensh and this proved deceisive.
Roberts marshal William, who did most of the commanding while Robert lead the knights, orderd his knights not to engage for now. Instead he sent the light infantry ahead against the enemy lines. The frensh knights at once attacked and chrushed the english who quickly retreated with the frensh on their heels. But this was exactly what William had wanted. While the frensh knights were still pursing their enemy suddenly out of the high grases on their flanks english archers appeared and opende fire on them. Enraged the frensh turned towards the archers. When they were only meters away from the english archers the pikemen stood up out of the high grass and corn fields which had covered them uptil then. The frensh had no time to react and most ran directly into the line of pikemen. The rest was so terrified that they fled in disorder.
In the meantime the english heavy infantry, aided by the light cavalry, had attacked the frensh centre and advanced considerably. Now with the threat of the frensh knights eliminated William gave signal to his king that he and his knights could now charge into the enemies rear. This decided the battle.
The frensh lost 2.500 men but english casulties were also consderably high at 1.000 men.
In May, while he was still fighting for several frensh strongholds, Robert decided that not that Jerusalem had be freed a new crusade should be started. He therefore petitoned the Pope to call a crusade to take Palermo from the infedils. The Pope complied at once.
In June the King fought several battles against scattered and weaker frensh armies. But disaster struck when the King was badly wounded in another great but indeceisiv victory over the frensh on the 21. of August.
Nevertheless Robert continued to wage war in France from his bed.
However now with his health getting worse and worse Robert was highly considerd about the sucession question. His first born son could impossibly become King beeing a kindslayer. This would destroy the Kingdom!
Robert therefore in cold blood ordered his own son to be executed.
Robert, Duke of Normandy, was seized by the Kings men in the dead of night on the 14th of June 1108. He was brought to the Tower of London were confessions of the murder, sorcery, making a alliance with the devil and other crimes were extracted out of him. He was openly executed on July the second.
The war in France continued to drag on with mixed fortune. But the King would not live to see its end. He died of old age on Feburary 15th 1109. He was 54 years old. In sharp contrast to William he was not generaly mourned. Most people considerd him a tyrann who had crippeld englands economy, spilt the blood of his own family and involfed the Kingdom in an endless war with France.
The solid base of faith in the de Normandy family which William had established had been destroyed.
The Kings second born son Robert, who was crowned Robert II. on Feburary 30th., was up to a great task in order to hold the Kingdom together.
Here end the chronicles of the Life of King Robert I.
~Lord Valentine~
Depression, War and Murder
Robert I. was very different from his father. His military talents were by far more limited than those of William I.. However his capeability to intrigue was far greater. But these were not the only differences. Where William had more or less over his whole life remained a rather simple down-to-earth-man Robert as a schollary theologian saw himeself as intelectualy superior. This view of himeself stood in sharp contrast to the fact that he had a strong lisp and was therefore often incapeable of bringing across what he realy thought. Furthermore he had developed a cruel personality. This all together made Robert a very ruthless ruler.
His first actions were to crush the uprising that had started in the last years of his fathers reign. He managed to do so by April 1099. He now redistributed the titles he had taken of the vanquished. He also reforged the old alliance of his father with France.
But allready Roberts next step created a big scandal. In order to make the King of the Scots more content he agreed that Williams widow Ragnillt Dunkeld should marry Echoeid Dunkeld, son and heir of Donald Dunkeld, Duke of Lothian. Not only was it incredible to forcefully remarry a Kings widow but also to make her marry someone within her own family! However Robert had his will done but the court establishment was now deeply distrustfull of him.
France in the meantime had been crusading and secured the holy city of Jerusalem and great parts of Egypt.
King Robert could not participate in this because he was greatly in debt. But instead of saving money by avoiding unnecessary wars Robert decided to punish the counts of Thüringen and Lausitz for declaring themeselves independent. Although the campaign was finished by 1101 the realm was throne into a serious economic crisis.
In spite of this Robert insited that his great Marshall should be rewarded for his great deeds with 100 gold pieces! Again Robert had poured scorn upon his subjects.
So bad was the financall situation that the royal castle of Hampshire, that had been built by his father William, could not be maintained any more!
The only good news of this year was that Robert became the controller of the new Pope Anselm.
He used this position to excommunicate Duncan, King of Scots, effectifly ruining all attempts of William to normalise the relationship of the two realms.
Robert also took the oportunity to claim to be the true King of the Scots, beliving naivly that the Scots would rather follow him than their excommunicated King.
In 1103 Adémar de Toney, Count of Porto and Lothian, declared himself independant. Robert swore revenge but because of the bad situation of the treasury was unable to turn his words into action.
Instead he decided to build a monument through which he would be rememberd in all times. He orderd a church, second to no other in England, to be built in Hampshire. He had a big inscription erected in it saying: I Robert I., King of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, protector of Christianity, have built this church to comemorate my in the whole word unreached virtues, piety and everlasting Glory. This shall be a place of workship for all my sucessors and those who wish to follow in my footsteps."
In Decembre when Robert was busy organising christmas news reached him that the Count of Evreux had started an uprising against his son Robert Duke of Normandy. Robert quickly mobilised his vassals and crushed that ridicoulus bid for independance. The county was given to the Bishop of Arques.
But the reasons for the uprising were not removed by this victory. Robert, Duke of Normandy, had in a stroke of madness killed his own son and was now hated by all his vassals. Logically in 1105 the County of Avrances also rebelled against the kindslayer Duke. Once again the uprising was quickly supresed and the land given to the Duke of Brittany.
Robert now felt that he was at the absolut hight of his power and nothing was impossible for him. His first horrifying action of the year 1106 was to have his wife Emma de Bretevil murderd. This had three reasons. The first was that he had hated his wife since he had to marry her nearly 30 years ago. The second was that by remarring he could fill his treasury again. And the third a marriage was always a good political instrument.
And so not even 6 days after his wifes murder he married the 17 year old Elayne Dunkeld, who was related to the scotische King. He hoped to strenghten his claim on the scotish crown through this. Furthermore the marriage duty brought the Kingdom 800 gold pices.
Nevertheless Robert was not to enjoy his new wife for two long because two months later the King of France started a war against the Duke of Poitou and Bourdaux. Robert felt that he had to join this war so that the frensh King would not gain the upper hand in France.
The campaign took only 2 months. Now the former great dutchy was divided between the Kingdoms of France and England.
But disaster struck only 2 months later when the frensh King declared war upon the Kingdom.
Robert, seeing his honor tarnished by this betrayal and probably thinking he was a reincarnation of Caesar, personally led his forces into France.
The first major engagement of the war took place at Poitiers on the 28th of March 1107. The english under Robert I. had 7.500 men wheras the 6.500 frensh warriors were led by a nobleman called Eudes de Lomagne.
The english had a considerable amount of knights, archers and light infantry more than the frensh and this proved deceisive.
Roberts marshal William, who did most of the commanding while Robert lead the knights, orderd his knights not to engage for now. Instead he sent the light infantry ahead against the enemy lines. The frensh knights at once attacked and chrushed the english who quickly retreated with the frensh on their heels. But this was exactly what William had wanted. While the frensh knights were still pursing their enemy suddenly out of the high grases on their flanks english archers appeared and opende fire on them. Enraged the frensh turned towards the archers. When they were only meters away from the english archers the pikemen stood up out of the high grass and corn fields which had covered them uptil then. The frensh had no time to react and most ran directly into the line of pikemen. The rest was so terrified that they fled in disorder.
In the meantime the english heavy infantry, aided by the light cavalry, had attacked the frensh centre and advanced considerably. Now with the threat of the frensh knights eliminated William gave signal to his king that he and his knights could now charge into the enemies rear. This decided the battle.
The frensh lost 2.500 men but english casulties were also consderably high at 1.000 men.
In May, while he was still fighting for several frensh strongholds, Robert decided that not that Jerusalem had be freed a new crusade should be started. He therefore petitoned the Pope to call a crusade to take Palermo from the infedils. The Pope complied at once.
In June the King fought several battles against scattered and weaker frensh armies. But disaster struck when the King was badly wounded in another great but indeceisiv victory over the frensh on the 21. of August.
Nevertheless Robert continued to wage war in France from his bed.
However now with his health getting worse and worse Robert was highly considerd about the sucession question. His first born son could impossibly become King beeing a kindslayer. This would destroy the Kingdom!
Robert therefore in cold blood ordered his own son to be executed.
Robert, Duke of Normandy, was seized by the Kings men in the dead of night on the 14th of June 1108. He was brought to the Tower of London were confessions of the murder, sorcery, making a alliance with the devil and other crimes were extracted out of him. He was openly executed on July the second.
The war in France continued to drag on with mixed fortune. But the King would not live to see its end. He died of old age on Feburary 15th 1109. He was 54 years old. In sharp contrast to William he was not generaly mourned. Most people considerd him a tyrann who had crippeld englands economy, spilt the blood of his own family and involfed the Kingdom in an endless war with France.
The solid base of faith in the de Normandy family which William had established had been destroyed.
The Kings second born son Robert, who was crowned Robert II. on Feburary 30th., was up to a great task in order to hold the Kingdom together.
Here end the chronicles of the Life of King Robert I.
~Lord Valentine~
